Public Tech Notes

FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, former Ft. Wayne Mayor Graham Richard and a roundtable of APT board members representing a broad range of public interest groups, reached consensus on the need for a comprehensive national broadband policy at APT's annual policy forum on February 15th.

Centered on the theme, "Framing Broadband Policy for the Next Administration," APT President, Kenneth Peres, Ph.D., opened the forum by noting that our nation stands on the cusp of a new wave of innovation that is delivering significant, life-enhancing advances from e-health care to e-education to the utilization of broadband to better our environment, as well as creating jobs and economic growth.

"Broadband has become a transformative infrastructure. Yet, we lack a national policy to stimulate broadband investment and demand. This contradicts our historical experience in which government took an active role with the private sector to stimulate investment and demand. For example, in the 18th century it was canals. In the 19th century, it was railroads. In the 20th century it was electricity, highways and telephone," said Peres.

FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein underscored the theme of the day by stressing the importance of leadership at the national level for a broadband deployment strategy. "We need to have an affordable system of high-bandwidth broadband that connects the country. Nothing has contributed more to productivity gains than broadband...it is one of a parcel of solutions to education, healthcare and economic issues," said Commissioner Adelstein.

A successful model at the local level was described by former Ft. Wayne, Indiana mayor Graham Richard. In describing the extraordinary initiative that he led to foster broadband access and demand, Richard discussed the lessons learned from his city's success. He stressed the importance of public-private partnerships and reported that broadband is now reaching over 128 thousand homes and businesses in Ft. Wayne. It has also created over 900 jobs in the area. You can read more about this model in APT's recently released report, Broadband Initiatives: Enhancing Lives & Transforming Communities.

A roundtable discussion followed, during which the focus turned to policy recommendations that the new Administration could employ to increase broadband access. Panelists described how states are moving ahead with their own policies and called for the federal government to do the same.

The session was moderated by the director of APT's Broadband Changed My Life!^TM campaign, Joy Howell. Roundtable panelists included Robert Atkinson, Ph.D., President of the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation; Karen Buller, President of the National Indian Telecommunications Institute; Kenneth R. Peres, Ph.D., Research Economist at Communications Workers of America; Karen Peltz Strauss, Co-Chair of the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology; and Wendy Lazarus, Co-President of The Children's Partnership and member of the California Broadband Task Force.

There was general agreement that data is needed on access and speed. Among other recommendations emerging from the panel discussion were: assessment through mapping; public-private partnerships; tax policies that encourage deployment; low interest loans; aggregation of demand; expansion of 255-type accessibility protections to Internet-enabled communications services; and independent Universal Service study areas for tribal lands.

Connected Nation and Founders of The Children's Partnership Honored at Hadden Awards Luncheon

Following the forum, the Alliance for Public Technology presented the founders of The Children's Partnership and ConnectKentucky with this year's prestigious Susan G. Hadden Pioneer Award for their pioneering efforts in telecommunications access.

Wendy Lazarus and Laurie Lipper founded The Children's Partnership in 1993 to ensure that digital opportunities are extended to all young people, particularly those in underserved families and communities. The organization uses original research, community-based pilot programs, training for parents and low-income community leaders, and policy advocacy to ensure that all American children have a chance to participate in today's economy and society.

Wendy Lazarus and Laurie Lipper were among the first to recognize the enormous impact that information technology would have on America's children. From nearly the birth of the information revolution, The Children's Partnership has provided a dynamic and respected voice for children that has been turned to by parents, community leaders, policy-makers, industry, and foundations.

ConnectKentucky, a technology-based economic development organization, has garnered national, industry-wide recognition as a best-practice model for broadband expansion. The model includes extensive broadband mapping, a public-private partnership and local eCommunity Leadership Teams.

ConnectKentucky provides an incredibly successful model for stimulating broadband build out and demand that should be adopted nationally. Its comprehensive strategy of assessing broadband availability, identifying and aggregating demand through grassroots county planning teams, and bringing providers and users together through a private public partnership has resulted in an expansion of broadband availability that is both significant and measurable.

The Susan G. Hadden Award was named after the late Chair of APT's Public Policy Committee and professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin. She dedicated her career to the principle of "connecting each to all," defining not only APT, but a national vision for technology access. The Hadden Awards are given annually to those whose pioneering efforts in telecommunications access embody the words and the spirit of Dr. Hadden.

APT Co-sponsors Connected Nation Briefing

The Alliance for Public Technology and the Communications Workers of America joined with Connected Nation to co-sponsor a briefing in the Capitol on February 21st. The purpose of the briefing was to release the results of a research study conducted by Connected Nation that explores the positive economic impacts of widespread broadband deployment and demand.

According to the report, if every state implemented programs modeled after ConnectKentucky, "the estimate of direct economic stimulus would be more than $134 billion per year for the nation." The study also found that Kentucky experienced an 83% rate of growth in broadband adoption while the national trend was 57%.

"Connected Nation provides convincing evidence that the benefits of broadband adoption spill over to society as a whole," said Dr. Robert Atkinson, President of the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation and Chair of APT's Public Policy Committee. "Moreover, the report rightly concludes that public policies to spur broadband are critical to ensure the best possible broadband future for the United States."

Four components are key to the ConnectKentucky model: public/private partnerships; market-based, research; comprehensive state-wide activity; and simultaneous demand creation and supply enhancement.

"Through its experience in Kentucky, Connected Nation provides an incredibly successful model for stimulating broadband build out and demand that should be adopted nationally," said APT President and CWA Research Economist Dr. Kenneth Peres. "Its comprehensive strategy of assessing broadband availability, identifying and aggregating demand through grassroots county planning teams, and bringing providers and users together a public private partnership has resulted in an expansion of broadband availability that is significant and measurable. Connected Nation's study identifies the economic benefits that can be expected if such a strategy is adopted nationally. This study should strengthen the growing, bi-partisan call in Washington, DC for a national broadband policy and specific legislation that would enable other states to participate in and benefit from this proven and successful model of economic development."

Legislation now pending in Congress based on ConnectKentucky model includes: the Connect the Nation Act (S.1190-H.R.3627) which is now embodied in the Farm Bill; the Broadband Data Improvement Act (S.1492) and the Broadband Census Act (H.R.3919).

The report is available at www.connectednation.org.

Broadband Changed My Life!^TM Director Interviewed by CNN

APT's Broadband Changed My Life!^TM Director Joy Howell told CNN radio this week that broadband is dramatically changing health care delivery services while saving money at the same time. As the Presidential candidates debate health care at every turn, and polls show that health care is the number one concern in some states while among the top three concerns in all states, it is useful to look at the role of broadband in improving health care delivery.

Some have estimated costs savings of over $800 billion with increased use of broadband service. Access to medical specialists through Internet video and other diagnostic tools, transmitted by high speed broadband service, is saving lives every day. For example, monitoring chronic conditions remotely has reduced acute care visits and hospitalizations, while making health care more accessible and more cost effective. Patients can also consult with sub-specialists who would not otherwise be available to them, particularly those living in sparsely populated areas.

Broadband networks are transforming our lives in many ways and through its Broadband Changed My Life!^TM campaign, APT is highlighting them all.

2008 Membership Reminder

Thanks to APT's broad base of membership, 2007 was a year of notable accomplishments advocating for universal access to affordable and useable broadband networks and services. We are particularly proud of our: 2007 policy report, Achieving Universal Broadband: Policies for Stimulating Deployment and Demand; our updated case studies report, Broadband Initiatives: Enhancing Lives and Transforming Communities; and our Broadband Changed My Life!^TM Campaign.

If you haven't already done so, you can make a membership contribution online. We also encourage you to visit APT's website to track our success and learn more about our initiatives.

TELECOM NEWS

Senate Passes VoIP/Public Safety Bill

The United States Senate approved S. 428, the IP-Enabled Voice Communications and Public Safety Act. The measure would require Internet telephone companies to offer enhanced 911 (E911) services to all subscribers. This legislation is designed to ensure that those Americans using Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services can dial 911 during an emergency. The bill was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee last year and now moves to the House of Representatives where it awaits consideration.

President Urged to Establish Inter-Agency DTV Task Force

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) sent a joint letter to the President, urging the establishment of an inter-agency task force led by the FCC to oversee the transition from analog to digital television (DTV).

According to a 2005 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, 21 million homes - nearly one in five of all television-equipped households – rely on free, over the air broadcasts for television service. The letter calls on the President to use the government's resources "to help educate and prepare all Americans for this potentially disruptive change in our broadcasting system." The Chairmen warned, "[i]f the transition is not successful, millions of American who rely solely on over-the-air broadcasts may be left in the dark."

The Commission has been working with representatives from industry, public interest groups, other governmental entities, and Congress to facilitate a smooth transition, including adoption of the following steps:

Broadcasters must provide on-air information to their viewers about the DTV transition, and have the flexibility to comply with one of three alternative sets of rules to best serve their widely divergent communities. Broadcasters must report these efforts, on a quarterly basis, to the Commission and the public.
Multichannel video programming distributors ("MVPDs") must provide monthly notices about the DTV transition in their customer billing statements.
Manufacturers of television receivers and related devices must provide notice to consumers of the transition's impact on that equipment.
DTV.gov partners and winners of the 700 MHz spectrum auction must provide the Commission with regular updates on their consumer education efforts.
Telecommunications companies participating in the Low Income Federal Universal Service Program must provide notice of the transition in their monthly customer billing statements to their low income customers and potential customers.
FCC will assist the National Telecommunications and Information Agency ("NTIA") in ensuring that retailers are fulfilling their commitment to the converter box program.

More information can be found on the FCC's website. Additional information on the transition and the converter box coupon program can be found on the Department of Commerce's NTIA website.

UPCOMING EVENTS

March 5
American Association of People with Disabilities
Leadership Gala
Washington, DC
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March 12
Information Technology & Innovation Foundation
Forum on Network Management
Washington, DC
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March 19
FCC
Commission Meeting
Washington, DC
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March 26-28
Tech Policy Summit
Hollywood, CA
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April 4-5
American Foundation for the Blind
National Conference
San Francisco, CA
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